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Mystery of Dying Gladiators
Gladiators continued to fall ill but our progress in solving why or who stalled despite questioning hosts of people. Though Volpone looked suspicious to me -- we had no proof. Rather than wrack our brains, we pursued a second mystery simultaneously. Perhaps it held clues to the mystery of the dying gladiators that continued to haunt us. We learned of a rumor that the house of Elzid , an eccentric recluse wizard with an evil reputation, had exploded recently and we decided to investigate.
In our first trip to the house some of the macho gladiators strong-armed the guard rather than stealthily sneaking past them. The big lunks. I am glad we have since parted ways. I fear we will come to regret their foolish actions, since now we will be marked characters.
Inside the house we discovered numerous items of interest including a fancy but creepy dagger apparently called adderfang, and Elzid's diary, which mentioned shipments of goods from the "Private Defense Tax". Oddly he also professed his love for Erilyn Windfellow and, remarked that a "Cruel Zotzpox, should not know of this affair. Erilyn was poor and Elzid had a reputation for seducing wealthy women. His affections for her puzzled us. Could he be renouncing his former evil? Was his epiphany the reason for the explosion? Was his supposed love for Erilyn a sham? I do not think so - I am a romantic - Only due time will tell.
Our time in the house was severely limited because of the blundering fighters. We needed to escape before the changing of the guard. They should have left it to Caldair to secure our entry. His sly ways would have gained us a more furtive access and extended dalliance. Too often the brawn of burly fighters overtakes their brains. What were they thinking overpowering the guard. We will surely be hunted now. ( I am surprised at my own vitriol here -- I wonder where that is coming from?)
Several leads developed in the gladiator mystery. After defeating several teams in the arena, we learned that many were getting a boost from a drug called bloodrush which supposedly enhanced battle prowess. We eventually traced it back to the arena’s physician Paramezzus. Paramezzus however, denied any knowledge of such a substance.
I am serioulsy condensing the following events now, I suspect I will come back later and fill in more details, for there are elements I would like to examine, like Shortfang’s adulation of us, or our encounter with the Dreadwood wyvern in the stadium but for now I want to relay the major happenings. There is so much to tell to catch you up to the present. Eventually we confronted Paramezzus. He revealed that Thel had “killed” his son when the son fell into an ankheg pit as a gladiator. When we pressed him that perhaps this was his motive, he disappeared and we really found ourselves in the thick of it of smoke that is. Apparently he had rigged the entire arena with alchemist fire to be quickly set ablaze on command which he ordered after rapidly disappearing before our eyes. He left screaming that he would annihilate Thel. Clearly he had plotted this for a long time. As we raced to find Thel before Paramezzus, we were nearly overcome with smoke ash and fire. Many of the stable creatures perished.
Several times while running through the stadium, I who am usually sure of foot, fell and caught fire. Victor and Ayther did also. It looked grim. I did not think we would reach her in time. For all we knew she had already been incinerated in the blaze. I was determined not to lose another important person to fire. This element would not rule me or my life. Though wounded, we barreled on.
Upon reaching the arena level we could see a fight raging in the sky boxes. It was Thel, Volpone and Paramezzus. I bolted up first, launched an arrow and then made a tactical error befitting a novice fighter. Rather than attack the wizard I engaged Volpone thinking he the greater threat to Thel. Paramezzus however, quickly webbed me into the corner while simultaneously barricading the door with the web. I was helpless for much of the fight thereafter and Victor and Ayther could not enter the skybox to fight either. I am grateful for my dear Allegra and my friends Victor and Ayther. In the end, I owe them my life.
Burly Volpone managed to break free of the web and pounded Thel who desperately fought back but was clearly overwhelmed. Ayther, Victor and Allegra my beautiful falcon familiar, eventually took out Paramezzus. That left Volpone who soon reduced Thel to a bloody mass. He then turned his attention to me. I remember thinking I that all would be for naught when blow after blow came crashing upon me. I passed out in pain and desperation. For me, it was the end. Thank the elven gods that Victor risked his life, leaping from the catwalk to the skybox window, fifteen stories above the burning bonfire below, to rescue me. Between he, Allegra and Ayther, they finally managed to take Volpone and we eventually were rescued from the charred remains of the stadium. Thel, after she recovered, was extremely grateful and we felt very much like heroes. Though we did not manage to save the stadium we did manage to keep Thel alive.
Gladiators continued to fall ill but our progress in solving why or who stalled despite questioning hosts of people. Though Volpone looked suspicious to me -- we had no proof. Rather than wrack our brains, we pursued a second mystery simultaneously. Perhaps it held clues to the mystery of the dying gladiators that continued to haunt us. We learned of a rumor that the house of Elzid , an eccentric recluse wizard with an evil reputation, had exploded recently and we decided to investigate.
In our first trip to the house some of the macho gladiators strong-armed the guard rather than stealthily sneaking past them. The big lunks. I am glad we have since parted ways. I fear we will come to regret their foolish actions, since now we will be marked characters.
Inside the house we discovered numerous items of interest including a fancy but creepy dagger apparently called adderfang, and Elzid's diary, which mentioned shipments of goods from the "Private Defense Tax". Oddly he also professed his love for Erilyn Windfellow and, remarked that a "Cruel Zotzpox, should not know of this affair. Erilyn was poor and Elzid had a reputation for seducing wealthy women. His affections for her puzzled us. Could he be renouncing his former evil? Was his epiphany the reason for the explosion? Was his supposed love for Erilyn a sham? I do not think so - I am a romantic - Only due time will tell.
Our time in the house was severely limited because of the blundering fighters. We needed to escape before the changing of the guard. They should have left it to Caldair to secure our entry. His sly ways would have gained us a more furtive access and extended dalliance. Too often the brawn of burly fighters overtakes their brains. What were they thinking overpowering the guard. We will surely be hunted now. ( I am surprised at my own vitriol here -- I wonder where that is coming from?)
Several leads developed in the gladiator mystery. After defeating several teams in the arena, we learned that many were getting a boost from a drug called bloodrush which supposedly enhanced battle prowess. We eventually traced it back to the arena’s physician Paramezzus. Paramezzus however, denied any knowledge of such a substance.
I am serioulsy condensing the following events now, I suspect I will come back later and fill in more details, for there are elements I would like to examine, like Shortfang’s adulation of us, or our encounter with the Dreadwood wyvern in the stadium but for now I want to relay the major happenings. There is so much to tell to catch you up to the present. Eventually we confronted Paramezzus. He revealed that Thel had “killed” his son when the son fell into an ankheg pit as a gladiator. When we pressed him that perhaps this was his motive, he disappeared and we really found ourselves in the thick of it of smoke that is. Apparently he had rigged the entire arena with alchemist fire to be quickly set ablaze on command which he ordered after rapidly disappearing before our eyes. He left screaming that he would annihilate Thel. Clearly he had plotted this for a long time. As we raced to find Thel before Paramezzus, we were nearly overcome with smoke ash and fire. Many of the stable creatures perished.
Several times while running through the stadium, I who am usually sure of foot, fell and caught fire. Victor and Ayther did also. It looked grim. I did not think we would reach her in time. For all we knew she had already been incinerated in the blaze. I was determined not to lose another important person to fire. This element would not rule me or my life. Though wounded, we barreled on.
Upon reaching the arena level we could see a fight raging in the sky boxes. It was Thel, Volpone and Paramezzus. I bolted up first, launched an arrow and then made a tactical error befitting a novice fighter. Rather than attack the wizard I engaged Volpone thinking he the greater threat to Thel. Paramezzus however, quickly webbed me into the corner while simultaneously barricading the door with the web. I was helpless for much of the fight thereafter and Victor and Ayther could not enter the skybox to fight either. I am grateful for my dear Allegra and my friends Victor and Ayther. In the end, I owe them my life.
Burly Volpone managed to break free of the web and pounded Thel who desperately fought back but was clearly overwhelmed. Ayther, Victor and Allegra my beautiful falcon familiar, eventually took out Paramezzus. That left Volpone who soon reduced Thel to a bloody mass. He then turned his attention to me. I remember thinking I that all would be for naught when blow after blow came crashing upon me. I passed out in pain and desperation. For me, it was the end. Thank the elven gods that Victor risked his life, leaping from the catwalk to the skybox window, fifteen stories above the burning bonfire below, to rescue me. Between he, Allegra and Ayther, they finally managed to take Volpone and we eventually were rescued from the charred remains of the stadium. Thel, after she recovered, was extremely grateful and we felt very much like heroes. Though we did not manage to save the stadium we did manage to keep Thel alive.
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